Tennis racket



G. AGUTTER.

TENNIS RACKET.

APPLICATION FILED,1AN.'6,19ZI.

1,423,900, A Patented July 25, 1922.

Ill

rarest certes.

esonera aen'rrnn, on sonner4 Hints, nnw YORK.

'Tennis nacxn'fr.

innesco.

Application led January 6, 1921. Serial No.43533.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnonen- AGUfr'rnR, a subject of the King of England,residing at Forest Hills, L. l., in the county, of AIneens and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful mprovementsin riCennisRaokets.; and l do hereby declare the following tov be a full, clear,and exact cescriptioir ofthe invention, suchas will enableothersskilledy in the art to which it appertains to `make and use thel saine,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to charactes ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of thisI specilication. I yy l The present invention relates, generally,

to improvements in tennis rackets and similar devices; and the inventionhas reference, more particularly, toV a construction of racket providedwith a novel metallic reenforcing andbstiifening member combined withthe racket in a novel manner.'

The invention has for its principal object to provide the vwooden headand handle, constituting the racket frame, with an exteriorly disposedmetallic binding and reenforc-ing memberwhich surrounds the head, andwhich is providedvwith a longitudinally extending inwardly projectingribadapted to be countersunk or dove-tailed into the outer peripheralfaces o f the head, throat and a portion ofthe handle of the racket, tothe end that said wooden head` and throat of the racket frame may bestrongly and efficiently reenforced against breakage, and stiffened soas to readily resist any tendency to warp ont of true shape, orbeotherwise distorted. ln addition to the reenforcing and stiffeningfunction of the metallic binding, the same, `by reason of its exteriordisposition about the'head of the racket frame, permits of the racketstrings being passed therethrough' and over portions of the same,whereby, not only is the metallic binding more iirmly held in operative`rela-tion to the wooden head, but also the Astrings are prevented frompulling through or splitting the wooden head, particular vwhenrestringing the racket. 1 ,l

Another advantage of the exterior relation of the,reenfo'rcilng"metallic'binding to the wooden head is that the formerprotects the latter against wear due to scraping the racket on theground, as e. g., when the player picks up balls therewith.

Other objects of the present invention, not

at this time moreparticularly enumerated, will be clearlyunderstood fromthe following Vdetailed description'of the same.

With the various objects ofthe invention in view,lthe same consists,primarily, 'in the novel construction of reenforcedl rac ret`herckinafter vset forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, inthe novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices andparts, as well as in the details of the construction of said parts, all4of'which will be 'more fully described in the following speci-"iication, and then finally. embodied in the 'claims appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a face view of a racket provided with the novelmetallic reenforcing member or 'binding made according` to and embodyingthe principles of my present invention. n

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of thejsame. Figure 3 is a detailtransverse section, taken on line 3-3 in said Figure '1, and

vdrawn on anenlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal sect-ion, taken on line l-- in saidFigure 2, also drawn on anenlarged scale.

Figure 5 is anv enlarged edge face view of portion of the reenforcedhead frame with the Stringing removed.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, 'to indicate corresponding parts;

Referring no-w to said drawings, thereference characterr l indicates theelliptical head frame -which is made of wood, and which is merged at itslower end or throat 2, into the handle portion 3. vEngag'ed over theouter peripheral face or edge of said head frame 1 is a metallic'lreenforcing inember or binding l, whichis preferably made ofcomparatively thin but strongsheet metalv pressed or otherwisewroughtinto the desired cross sectional shape; lSaid reenrorcing` memberor binding l is provided at each longitudinal side with inwardly turnedflanges or skirts 5, which', when the binding is in lace oro'ect resoectivel inwardl over the opposite plane faces ofthe head frame 1. Saidreenforcing member or binding 4 is provided, substantially throughoutits length, with a longitudinally extending centrally disposed andinwardly depressed or projecting rib or channel portion 6. The outerperipheral face or edge of said wooden head trame 1 is provided with acorresponding longitudinally extending centrally disposed countersunkvchannel or groove 7 providing a seat within which is received said ribor channel portion G when said binding el is assembled in operativerelation to the racket. The respective ends or said reentorcing memberor binding 4, when the latter is assembled with the racket, are carrieddownwardly about the opposite edges of the head irame 1, and thence arepassed along the throat 2 and down the sides of thev handle portion 3.At the approaches to the juncture of said handle portion with the headtrame, the flanges or skirts 5 oi' the reeniiorcing member or binding lare spread outwardly, as at 8, to contorni to the swelling or curvatureot the said parts, and so as to permit of the ends 9 ot said reenforcingmember or binding being extended for the desired distance downwardlyalong t-he sides of the handle portion. The said ends 9 of thereentorcing member or binding l are secured to the handle 3 by one ormore fastening screws 10, or any other suitable fastening means foranchoring or holding the same in place,l whereby-the reentorcing orbinding member, as a whole, is securely retained in normal and operativeassembled relation to the racket body.

The wooden head Jframe 1 is bored transversely at suitably spacedintervals with Stringing openings or holes 11. The said stringingopenings or holes 11 are longitudinally and centrally alined relative toeach other, as distinguished from the staggered relation heretoforecommonly employed. Said metallic reenorcing member or binding 4 isprovided with correspondingly located Stringing openings or holes 12,which register over the outer ends oit' the openings or holes 1 1 of thehead frame 1. Said openings or holes 12 ot the reenforcing member orbinding 4 are located in the bottom of the rib or channel portion 6, andthe same are preferably of somewhat larger diameter than are theStringing holes or openings 11, and furthermore said openings or holes12 are provided at their longitudinally opposite edges with chamiered orrounded lips 13, thus eliminating sharp metallic edges which might tendto cut or otherwise injure the gut strings of the racket.

The head iframe 1 is strung with the usual interwoven transverse andvertical strings of gut 14 which are passed through certain of theopenings or holes 11 and 12 in one direction and then looped over thereentorcing member or binding l and back through adjacent openings orholes 12and 11 in the opposite direction, in the manner more clearlyillustrated in Figure l oiE the drawings. As above mentioned, the holesor openings 11 with the alined holes or openings 12 are disposed aroundthe head frame 1 in longitudinal alinement, and not in staggeredrelation, consequently tie strings 14- pull straight through theopenings or holes 11, thus minimizing the tendency of the strings tofray or be out by the edges ot the inner ends of the holes or openings11 thereby lengthening the life of the strings and the serviceablenessof the racket. The stated arrangement of the said holes or openings andthe strings 14- also renders restringing ot the racket more easily andquickly accomplished, whereby time and labor and consequently expense,is saved in the performance ot the restringing opera` tions. Since theloops 1e of the strings le pass over the reentorcing member orbinding 4,they additionally servo, 'when tightened up, to firmly hold the latterin normal operative engagement with the exterior edge of the head iframe1, and securely retained against accidental separation or dislodgementtherefrom. Since the said loops 1l or". the strings 14 are located inthe bottom ot the depressed rib or channel portion 6 of said binding orreentorcing member, the said portions oit the gut strings are protected,by the bounding shoulders or beans 15 'formed by the sides of said ribor channel portion G, from being struck against objects on andsurrounding the court when swinging the racket about, thereby'preventing weakening, breaking or other damage or injury being done tothe stringing of the racket; and, Jiurthermore, being thus'countersunkin the exterior channel of the rib 6, the loops 14e are protectedagainst injurious contact with moisture from the hands or lingers of theplayer.

It will be apparent from the above deseription, and trom an inspectionof the accompanying drawings, that the novel construction ot reentorcingmember or binding 4l, is constructed to adequately brace the wooden headframe against torsion or twist due to any tendency ot the latter towarp. The principal factor the construction lor accomplishing suchpurpose is the longitudinally disposed countersunk rib or channelportion 6, which, by reason of being imbedded in the periphery ot thehead frame` and by reason oit the inherent stil'ness and strength otsuch a channel rib structure, easily resists the warping strains andpres sures. Without such stitlening rib or channel portion 6, warping ortwisting of the head frame 1 might tend to separate or spread apart theside iianges or skirts 5, resulting in loosening the binding l to permitlateral play upon the head-iframe, 'which would consequently be free toyield to the warping strains or tendencies, but the provision of such arib or channel portion 6 in countersunk relation to the head frame atfords what may be termed a longitudinally extending stift' and resistantback-bone.

frame.

which resists lateral warping strains from either direction.

Of course, it will be clear that ordinary strains produced by forciblecontact of the racket with the balls when playing, are firmly resistedby the reenforcing member or binding 4, so that the racket is veryefliciently protected by the latter against breakage either at thethroat 2, or at any other part of the head frame.

My invention, therefore, provides a racket adapted to give much longerlife in service, as well as one which is adequately protected againstwarping out of true; and, at the same time, the exterior location of thereenforcing member or binding also servesy to protect the wood of thehead frame against wear; and, by reason of the novel relation of theStringing thereto, theloops of the strings are also protected againstaccidental injury. It will be observed by reference to the drawings,that the genera-l neat appearance of the ordinary racket'is retained bymy novel reenforced structure, so that the racket does not in any waypossess a freakish appearance, but rather derives an ornamentation orpleasing embellishment by reason of the shaping and location of thereenforcing member or binding 4.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the detailsof the construction thereof without departing from the scope of mypresent invention as set forth in the foregoing speciiication, and asdefined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the said devices and parts asdescribed in said specification, nor do I confine myself to the eXact.details of the construction of said parts as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

I claim l. In a racket, the combination with a wooden head frame anddepending handle of a. reenforcing metallic binding engaged with andsurrounding the outer periphery of said head-frame, the ends of saidbinding being engaged with and secured to the sides of said handle, saidbinding having on its opposite sides inwardly extending marginal skirtsoverlapping the sides of said head frame, and a longitudinally extendingcentrally disposed depressed rib on the inner side of said binding, saidrib being countersunk in the outer periphery of said head 2. In aracket, the combination with a wooden head frame and depending handle ofa reenforcing metallic binding engaged with and surrounding the outerperiphery of said head frame, the ends of said binding being engagedwith and 4secured to the sides of said handle, said binding having onits opposite sides inwardly extending marginal skirts overlapping thesides of said head frame, a longitudinally extending centrally disposedinwardly depressed rib formed in said binding, said rib beingcountersunk in the outerperiphery of said head frame, said head framehaving a plurality of longitudinally alined and spaced stringing holes,and said binding having a plurality of Stringing holes of enlargeddiameter with inwardly chamfered edges located in the bottom portion ofsaid rib and registered with the outer ends of said head frame stringingholes whereby the strings of the racket may be looped over portions ofsaid binding within the depressed outer side of said rib.

3. The combination with the wooden head frameof a racket of a metallicreenforcing member engaging and surrounding the outer periphery of saidhead frame, said member having on its opposite sides inwardly eX-tending marginal skirts overlapping the sides of said head frame, and aninwardly projecting longitudinal rib portion connected with saidreenforcing member, said rib portion being y countersunk in said headframe.

4. In a racket, a wooden head frame provided with a longitudinal channelin its outer periphery, a metallic binding having a central longitudinaldepressed rib to project into said head frame channel, and marginalskirt portions connected with the sides of said binding to overlap thesides of said head frame.

5. In a racket having a wooden head frame, a means for reenforcing saidframe against distortion, twisting or breakage, said means comprising ametallic binding engaged with the outer periphery of said frame, saidbinding having a pair of outwardly bowed longitudinal ribs combined withan intermediate inwardly bowed longitudinal rib, and the outer'periphery of said head frame being shaped to conform to the innercontour ofsaid binding thus formed.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 20th day of December, 1920.

GEORGE AGUTTER.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. CoNGDoN, J. P. BRoo-Ks.

